UK Urged to Embrace Prototype Warfare
Senior defence officials warned that the UK’s traditional, long‑term procurement model is too slow for modern conflict, urging a shift toward "prototype warfare" and rapid frontline experimentation. They propose adopting a minimum viable product approach, deploying early‑stage equipment to troops for real‑time feedback. The call includes reshaping industrial strategy to prioritize flexible innovation over pre‑selected winners. Experts also highlighted the need to diversify allies, noting that US support may be limited in a major China‑centric war.
Edinburgh Student Forum Spotlights Hybrid War Lessons
The University of Edinburgh and Kyiv National University hosted an online student forum that gathered Ukrainian and UK experts to dissect drones, disinformation, civil resilience, and energy security, showing how Ukraine’s war is reshaping European security thinking. Panels highlighted drone‑induced...
Earth Observation Data Provider Constellr Closes €37 Million Series A
Munich‑based Constellr closed a €37 million Series A round, bringing total capital to €75 million. The funding, led by Alpine Space Ventures and Lakestar, will accelerate its HiVE microsatellite constellation toward defence‑grade thermal imaging. Constellr plans to upgrade resolution from 30 m to sub‑5 m...
Swedish Gripens Take Lead in NATO Iceland Air Policing
Sweden has deployed six JAS 39 Gripen fighters and more than 110 personnel to Iceland, marking its first leadership of NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission. The rotation, based at Keflavík Air Base, will run until mid‑March 2026 and maintain a...
Chicago O’Hare’s Gate Fight Gets Even More Complex… and Spirited
Chicago O’Hare’s gate reallocation is entering another round after United secured full control of Terminals 1 and 2 and American’s presence in Terminal 3 weakened. Spirit sold two gates (G8, G10) to American for $30 million and two (G12, G14) to United...
NATO Planners Deploy to Bulgaria to Sharpen Eastern Defence
NATO has deployed a Joint Planning Team to Sofia to fine‑tune Bulgaria’s contribution to the Eastern Sentry mission, which bolsters situational awareness and defensive posture on the Alliance’s eastern flank. The team, drawn from Allied Air Command, Joint Force Command...
UK Defence Warned Against Complacency on Drones and AI
Defence experts warned that drones and artificial intelligence are rapidly redefining warfare, yet UK armed forces remain complacent. Air Marshal Edward Stringer criticised officers for dismissing Ukraine’s lessons, emphasizing low‑cost drone integration with conventional forces. Dr. Keith Dear highlighted AI’s...
Harith Targets FlySafair in Strategic Airline Buyout
Harith and its affiliates have signed a sale‑and‑purchase agreement to acquire 100% of FlySafair, South Africa’s leading low‑cost carrier, from ASL Aviation’s 74.86% stake. The transaction, still pending approval from the South African Competition Commission and aviation regulators, follows years...
Despite some Turbulence, SPEEA Exec Sees Progress Under Boeing’s Ortberg
Kelly Ortberg, who took the Boeing helm in August 2024, has been working to repair strained labor relations across multiple unions. While the IAM 751 contract ended after a 53‑day strike and the Teamsters deal closed without walkouts, the IAM...
Hypersonic Systems Startup Emerges From Stealth with Series A and Test Launch
Munich‑based Hypersonica has emerged from stealth, announcing a €23.3 million Series A round led by Plural and backed by Germany’s Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation, General Catalyst and 201 Ventures. The startup also reported its first successful hypersonic missile test on 3 February from...
Frontier Sues American Airlines For $100,000+ After Collision At Miami International Airport Badly Damaged Plane
Frontier Airlines filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida seeking more than $100,000 from American Airlines after a March 7 ground collision at Miami International Airport badly damaged Frontier’s Airbus A321neo. The incident forced the aircraft to remain...
Ken Kremer Live Interview Fox 35 Orlando Previewing NASA SpaceX Crew 12 Mission to International Space Station and Science Investigations:...
Ken Kremer, Managing Editor of Space UpClose, appeared on Fox 35 Orlando on Feb. 9, 2026 to discuss NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑12 launch to the International Space Station. The pre‑launch briefing revealed the Falcon 9 Crew Dragon Freedom stack will now lift off on Feb. 12 after...
Newcomer ERC, Now Flight Testing, Keeps Germany’s eVTOL Dreams Alive
Germany’s eVTOL sector has faltered, with Lilium and Volocopter bankrupt and Airbus pausing CityAirbus, leaving the country’s air‑taxi ambitions in doubt. This week Munich‑based ERC System completed the maiden flight of Romeo, a full‑scale lift‑plus‑cruise eVTOL weighing over 6,000 lb, making...
PLA Navy’s J-15 Reportedly Seen Carrying YJ-15 Anti-Ship Missile for the First Time
China’s supersonic YJ‑15 anti‑ship cruise missile was reportedly photographed mounted on a J‑15T carrier‑borne fighter, marking its first confirmed air‑launched deployment. The missile, unveiled at the September 3, 2025 parade, is believed to exceed Mach 5 and reach 1,200‑1,800 km, extending the PLAN’s standoff...
Air Canada Suspends Service to Cuba Amid Fuel Shortage
Air Canada announced the suspension of all flights to Cuba after the island nation ran out of aviation fuel. The airline will operate empty southbound trips to bring roughly 3,000 stranded Canadians home, and may tanker extra fuel for return...
British Airways Helicopters: A Pioneering Chapter in UK Rotary Aviation
British Airways Helicopters, originally formed as BEA Helicopters in 1964, operated scheduled passenger routes such as the iconic Penzance‑Isles of Scilly service and provided extensive offshore support for the burgeoning North Sea oil industry. Its fleet progressed from Sikorsky S‑61s...
The EU Is Under Pressure To Suspend Contentious Airline Deal With Qatar After Key Official Accepted Free Business Class Flights
European aviation unions and watchdogs are urging the EU to suspend its 2019 Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement with Qatar after evidence surfaced that senior Commission transport official Henrik Hololei accepted complimentary business‑class flights from Qatar Airways during negotiations. The deal...
Air France Expands Service to U.S.
Air France announced a summer‑time expansion of its New York service, adding up to six daily flights between Paris and JFK and a second daily frequency to Newark from June through October. The carrier will tap its Delta joint‑venture partner for...
Interview with RFA CEO Indulis Kalnins
In this interview, Rocket Factory Augsburg CEO Prof. Dr. Indulis Kalnins reflects on his first nine months leading a young, international team and outlines the company’s focus on completing the Helix engine development, finalizing the RFA ONE first stage, and preparing the...
APFA Board Issues No Confidence Vote in American CEO
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) voted unanimously to express no confidence in American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, marking the first such measure against an American Airlines chief. The union, representing 28,000 flight attendants, cited weak fourth‑quarter earnings, operational...
ESA Is Preparing to Announce Aeolus-2 Prime Contractor
The European Space Agency has cleared a €70 million award to launch Phase B2 of its Aeolus‑2 weather satellite programme and is set to announce the prime contractor. Aeolus‑2 will consist of two 2.5‑tonne satellites equipped with a Doppler wind lidar, delivering...
MAX 8-200’s Fuel Burn Surprise, Backed by New Data
Recent Skailark data confirms that Boeing’s 737 MAX 8‑200 variant burns fuel per seat at a rate comparable to the Airbus A321neo, validating earlier US DOT findings that were based on a single operator. The new dataset expands coverage beyond Allegiant, incorporating...
Press Release: Air Cambodia Selects AirFi for Wireless Streaming IFE
Air Cambodia has partnered with AirFi to roll out a wireless streaming inflight entertainment (IFE) system across its Airbus A320 and ATR 72 fleet, launching on February 1. The browser‑based platform lets passengers use their own devices to stream movies,...
Nat Pieper Tackles the Tall Task of Fixing American’s Revenue Problems
American Airlines hired former oneworld CEO Nat Pieper as chief commercial officer to reverse a deep revenue slump. Pieper, with a background in finance, alliances and fleet strategy at Northwest, Delta and Alaska, faces the challenge of making the carrier...
Cardiff Airport in Court over £205m Welsh Government Subsidy
Cardiff Airport faces a tribunal over a £205.2 million subsidy granted by the Welsh Labour Government in April 2025. Bristol Airport has filed the case, alleging the aid breaches competition law and unfairly diverts airlines and passengers. The subsidy, equivalent to...
CAA Data Shows Most Complained About UK Airlines
UK Civil Aviation Authority data covering mid‑2024 to spring‑2025 shows over 43,000 airline complaints. Hungarian ULCC Wizz Air topped the list with more than 10,000 complaints, translating to roughly 900 complaints per million passengers and £1.5 million in compensation payouts. Air France...
Outlook 2026: The State of the Major eVTOL Projects
The eVTOL sector suffered a sharp contraction in 2025 as Lilium, Volocopter, Hyundai’s Supernal, Airbus’s CityAirbus, Textron’s Nexus and Overair all ceased development or shut down. Only China’s EHang EH216‑S achieved full certification, receiving a Type Certificate in 2023, a...
New Video Shows Ukrainian F-16 Scoring Gun Kill on Russian Drone
Ukrainian Air Force F‑16s have been captured on video using their M61 20 mm Vulcan cannon to shoot down a Russian Shahed (Geran‑2) drone, marking the clearest gun‑kill footage to date. The engagement highlights a broader shift toward gun‑based interceptions, which are...
Boeing and Airbus in Line for Large Order From Saudia
Saudia Airlines is in early‑stage talks with Boeing and Airbus for a potential order of up to 150 aircraft, with Boeing likely supplying wide‑body jets and Airbus the A321neo single‑aisle family. The mix would include both passenger and cargo variants...
Israel Scrambles Fighter Jets To Intercept Wizz Air Plane From London As Terror Alert Is Declared
Israeli fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Wizz Air Airbus A321 en route from London to Tel Aviv after pilots reported a security situation. The alert was triggered when a passenger’s phone broadcast a private Wi‑Fi network labeled “Terrorist”...
United Airlines Dangles Immediate Pay Rises to Push Flight Attendants Toward Controversial Scheduling System
United Airlines is offering flight attendants an immediate pay increase if they agree to a Preferential Bidding System (PBS) in a new contract. The airline argues PBS will streamline scheduling, cut administrative costs, and free up funds for higher wages....
OHB Establishes European Moonport Company
German space contractor OHB announced the launch of Luna Europa – the European Moonport Company – to centralise its lunar‑related activities. The subsidiary, founded in May 2025 and disclosed on 4 February 2026, will coordinate work on ESA’s Argonaut lander, the ESPRIT...
UK Reinforces RAF Akrotiri With Deployment of Six F-35Bs
The United Kingdom moved six F‑35B Lightning jets from RAF Marham to RAF Akrotiri, escorted by two Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft, to reinforce the base’s defensive posture amid heightened Middle‑East tensions. Akrotiri already hosts ten Typhoon FGR4s, ISR platforms and U.S. U‑2 assets,...
AerCap Grows Its Portfolio, but Without New Direct Orders
AerCap expanded its order book by 103 aircraft in FY25, but all were secured through indirect transactions rather than direct purchases from Airbus or Boeing. The bulk of the new orders stem from the Spirit Airlines Chapter 11 restructuring and...
Elbit Is Working on an Electronic Warfare, ISR Variant of C-390 Millenium
Elbit Systems displayed a concept version of Embraer’s C‑390 Millennium configured for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) at the Singapore Airshow. The model incorporates an EO/IR ball turret, a chin‑mounted MS‑110 multispectral pod and wing‑tip electronic‑warfare pods....
Airlink Scales Up Service to Zambia
South African carrier Airlink will boost service between Johannesburg and Ndola, Zambia, adding a second daily flight on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting March 30, 2026. The new schedule includes overnight aircraft in Ndola, enabling early‑morning departures to Johannesburg on...
British Airways Rolling Out New Electronic Meal Ordering System In Club World But The Reason Is Baffling
British Airways is set to launch an iPhone‑based meal ordering app, iOrder, for its Club World business class cabin. The airline says the system will give real‑time data on passenger preferences, helping to align meal loading ratios with demand and...
Norse Discloses Unit Revenue Performance In January
Norse Atlantic Airways began publishing its total revenue per available seat kilometer (TRASK) for January, showing a 21% year‑on‑year increase. Passenger traffic rose 36% YoY to 151,237, while capacity (ASK) grew 23% and RPKs climbed 31%. ACMI operations surged, with...
Press Release: LATAM Extends AeroSHARK Use Across 777-300ER Fleet
LATAM Airlines Group is expanding its use of AeroSHARK, a sharkskin-inspired drag‑reduction film developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF Coatings, to the entire ten‑aircraft Boeing 777‑300ER fleet. The rollout adds five more shipsets, bringing the total to ten, and aims...
Airbus’s Worst January in a Decade Raises Red Flags
Airbus recorded its lowest January deliveries in a decade, handing over just 19 aircraft to 15 customers in January 2026. This marks a sharp drop from the 35 deliveries in the same month last year and well below the decade‑average...
Berlin Airport Grounds Flights For Second Day In A Row As Freezing Rain And Black Ice Cause Havoc
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) halted flights for a second consecutive day as freezing rain produced black ice on runways and taxiways. The German Weather Service issued a severe warning, citing life‑threatening slippery conditions that have already driven up hospital admissions....
Some Pleasing Aviation Arithmetic
The episode explores three seemingly simple aviation calculations that have outsized operational impacts: why daily service vastly outperforms a five‑days‑a‑week schedule by multiplying passenger choice; why a 3‑3‑3 seat layout is favored over a 2‑5‑2 configuration due to cabin efficiency...
F-15SA Development Aircraft Used to Test AGM-84 Harpoon Block II Update
The U.S. Navy completed the final flight test of the AGM‑84 Harpoon Block II Update on Jan 16 2026, using a Boeing‑operated F‑15SA (tail 12‑1002) from Point Mugu. The test demonstrated successful coastal target suppression against a land target, confirming the GPS‑aided navigation and...
British Aviation Regulator Tells Airlines To Show Passengers The Impact Their Flight Will Have On The Enviroment
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued new guidance requiring airlines and price‑comparison websites to display the carbon emissions of each flight sold to British consumers, using standard units such as kg CO₂e per passenger. The rule takes effect...
Eurofighter and NETMA to Resume Working on Aerodynamic Modification Kit
Eurofighter and NATO’s NETMA have signed a contract to revive the Aerodynamic Modification Kit (AMK) for the Typhoon, restarting development, testing and certification after its 2015 flight‑test campaign. The kit reshapes airflow with new strakes, leading‑edge extensions and larger flaperons,...
AirAsia Has Limited Leverage in the A220 Showdown
AirAsia is rumored to be negotiating a sizable order of 100 Airbus A220 jets with an additional 50 options ahead of the Singapore Airshow, but the carrier has not confirmed any commitment. The airline’s constrained cash position and focus on...
The Exploration Company Completes Nyx Splashdown Tests
The Exploration Company announced the completion of a controlled splashdown test campaign for a 1:4‑scale mockup of its Nyx reusable capsule. Conducted at the National Research Council’s Institute of Marine Engineering in Rome, the program executed 20 drops between 13...
Outlook 2026: The Airliner Projects that Promise New Technology and Lower Emissions
The 2026 outlook surveys airliner projects that break away from traditional gas‑turbine tube‑and‑wing designs, emphasizing lower emissions and potential cost reductions. The analysis narrows to programs closest to certification, filtering out the dozens of concepts still in early stages. Despite...
Rolls-Royce’s Trent 1000 XE Targets 787 Comeback
Rolls‑Royce unveiled the Trent 1000 XE, the new production‑standard engine for all future Boeing 787 deliveries. The XE incorporates a Durability Enhancement package that boosts time‑on‑wing and cuts emissions compared with the Trent 1000 TEN. The launch follows a slowdown in 787 engine orders and...
Lufthansa Group to Retain Current IFC Until Starlink Pivot Is Complete
Lufthansa Group announced a fleet‑wide shift to SpaceX Starlink, planning rollout from late 2026 to 2029, while retaining its existing inflight connectivity (IFC) systems—Viasat’s European Aviation Network (EAN) on narrow‑bodies and Panasonic’s multi‑orbit solution on some A330s—until Starlink is fully...